Spiritual Direction

For centuries people have sought out companions with whom to walk their spiritual journey, whether it be in an ashram in India, a monastery in the desert or a retreat centre in the outback. We are all seekers, to varying degrees, and only so much searching can be done alone. Spiritual direction is the art of accompanying another in their journey, being attentive to the movement of God/Divine/Spirit in their midst.

It may help to begin with what spiritual direction is not. It is not counselling. Counselling seeks to assist a person with their relationships and their own behaviours towards other people. Spiritual direction is focussed upon the directee's relationship with God in whatever form that may take for them. Spiritual direction is not authoritarian. Although the role includes the word 'direction', it is not used in terms of giving advice or providing judgment. The role of the spiritual director is to help the directee to become aware of how God may be working in their life for themselves. And spiritual directors are not experts in spiritual life. Although a spiritual director must complete specific training to be recognised, they also recognise that the work of the Spirit is broader and more expansive than the knowledge we can possibly hold.

So what does a spiritual direction session look like? Generally, a session would last an hour and the director and directee would meet every 4-6 weeks. There is, of course, flexibility in this arrangement depending on the needs of the person. I like to begin my sessions by lighting a candle and holding a period of silence. We often race from appointment to appointment, so it is important to spend a few moments leaving the cares of the world aside and coming into a contemplative space. The directee is invited to begin sharing what is on their mind. The presenting topics can be diverse and sometimes surprising.

As a spiritual director, my role is not to fix the problem, but to help my directees find where God is in this part of the spiritual journey. This is done with careful listening, open questions and assisting to go deeper than just the surface issues.

This is the ministry to which I feel called to develop further. I trained in Spiritual Direction in 2011 and 2012. I am now involved in the training of new spiritual directors. It is a profession that is gaining recognition and understanding throughout the world and plays a vital role in the lives of many. If you would like to know more about spiritual direction, I will be available from May for face to face sessions in Margaret River, Busselton, Bunbury and Perth or via Zoom link up. I would also be available to run a brief introductory session for groups who would like to know more.

Deep Water Dwelling in 2018

Those of you who know me personally, or read my blog regularly, will know that the year ahead holds many changes for me. Deep Water Dwelling began as the name of my personal blog and shortly after was registered as a business name by one of the congregations in which I minister, Margaret River Uniting. Since that time, Deep Water Dwelling has been the umbrella under which many workshops, retreats and other activities in the area of spirituality have sat under.

Since announcing my intention to take a leave of absence from ministry and pursue further study, the congregation has discussed the future of Deep Water Dwelling. Although many people have engaged with the various programs, the focus has gradually shifted towards hosting an annual festival called Deep Listening (check out the Facebook page and website for further information). The church council have decided that they will gift the name Deep Water Dwelling back to me to further as I please. This is something for which I am extremely grateful. To be honest, I have grown quite attached to the name and all it stands for.

So, as of April the 29th, I will finish my placement with Augusta and Margaret River and prepare to commence study and developing Deep Water Dwelling. In the meantime, the year will be quite busy with Lent, Easter, the Deep Listening Festival and preparing for my next adventure. I will continue to write here when I can find the time, but stay tuned for a new logo and more information about what Deep Water Dwelling might have on offer. I hope to offer spiritual direction more widely and have some ideas tucked away for some different workshops and retreats.

I already have my first retreat booked in at the end of May. The Women's Weekend Away will be exploring the theme of Meeting the Mystics: Meeting Me. If you would like to arrange a workshop or a retreat day during 2018, get in contact with me via email. I'd love to hear from you!!

Heal Yourselves!

In the song 'The Temple' from the musical Jesus Christ Superstar, Jesus ends the song by crying out in a loud voice, 'Heal yourselves!'. It is a controversial line in the production and many people argue that Jesus would never say these words and was always compassionate. The song has people seeking Jesus' attention to heal their various ailments. It builds to a crescendo where it appears that Jesus is totally overwhelmed by the need surrounding him.

I must say that sometimes (especially just before holidays) ministry feels a little this way. It is all too much. The demands that people place upon you and the expectations they have of your time and energy seem neverending. Thankfully, I am at the end of a week's leave and feeling ready to emerge out of my cocoon once more. I can certainly imagine Jesus feeling overwhelmed and frustrated by the continuous challenges of his life. Maybe he didn't yell out, 'Heal yourselves!', but I have no problem believing he thought it every once in a while.

In fact, I think there is some wisdom in these harsh words. In my experience as a Spiritual Director, it is those people who are ready for healing to occur in their lives who are easiest to work with. They want healing and they are prepared to do the difficult work to help the process. I ask questions and feedback what I am hearing and seeing in the person. Often, the person will thank me at the end of the session, but really they have done the work. They have 'healed themselves'. 

Many people want miracle cures and magic transformations. But, contrary to many claims, there are no magic wands waiting to fix all the problems. Inner healing comes from deep inner work. This takes time, commitment and courage. When we look at Jesus' encounters with people in the Gospels we find him helping people to heal themselves. The healing narratives almost always have a deeper conversation following which encourages the person to continue the journey of healing at a deeper level. 

Healing is an ongoing process. It never ends. For me healing is about discovering my true self, being in right relationship with others and knowing my God. Only I can do that work. And so, Jesus' cry, 'Heal yourself' is not an offense, but a call to take responsibility and engage in the hard, inner work necessary for healing.

Unseen Connections

Over the weekend I had the privilege of spending time with my peers who have been engaged in the Graduate Diploma in Spiritual Direction with me over the last 18 months. The main objective of the weekend  was to share with each other a summary of our projects. We each took a turn talking about our methodology , our results and the conclusions to which we have come. The rest of the group were then able to ask questions and make comments. It was a wonderful experience and certainly helped me to refine and clarify my research question and what else I needed to read before submitting it in November. 

More inspiring than hearing everyone's work from the last two years, was hearing the stories of how people have engaged with the different experiences of spiritual direction. The topics ranged from Spiritual Direction with those who are grieving, to contemplative walking and to my own topic of mandalas. In each and every project summary there were stories told of how people had been touched deeply by their experiences of God. The availability of Spiritual Direction helped people to identify and become aware of how the divine was moving in their life.

On Sunday morning, for our prayer time, we were given the space to walk the labyrinth. Every time I walk the labyrinth, something new happens and I become aware of something new within myself. In my walking yesterday, the one thing of which I was aware was the hundreds of spider webs in the labyrinth. In almost every bush and tree along the way silken webs glistened in the morning sun. I probably missed most of the beautiful flowers as my eyes were drawn over and over to these small spiders and the intricate designs they had woven. Sometimes I did not see them until I turned slightly and the sun's rays were caught. 

At one point, as I was the first to walk the path for the day, I noticed a web stretching across the pathway. I was very careful to take the time to step over the web so as not to destroy it. I turned back to see the person following me step over as well. I could not stop to make sure every person noticed the web, however, and had to decide to let it go. Needless to say, on my return walk from the centre, the web had gone.

After finishing the labyrinth I attempted to take some pictures of the webs on my phone. I looked at the pictures today, hoping that I may have caught some of the magic of these hidden gems. All that can be seen are some strange views of branches and twigs. The thing that was brought to my attention in the labyrinth was that we are surrounded by unseen connections. Connections to God and to others. Sometimes we breeze through life and walk straight through them. destroying them. Sometimes we don't look from the right angle or in the right light. 

This was the best of the lot! Can any of you see the web?

The purpose of Spiritual Direction is to help people see the connections in their own life. It is to help them to slow down and take in that which they usually walk straight past. Spiritual Direction helps people to notice, value and interact with the sacred webs which connect and bring together. Maybe my experience in the labyrinth was reminding me of the fragility and vulnerability with which some may come for Spiritual Direction and the care and attention that I need to have for the unseen connections in my own life in order to be present to others.